Alpha Chi Omega - Purdue University

Lyre Letter 4 K im Phillips '80 was a double Alpha Chi Omega legacy, having been the daughter and niece of alumnae, but she did not join Alpha Beta Chapter at Purdue University for that reason. The decision to join had been her personal choice because of the members who made her feel valued and who made the chapter feel unique. "Each woman was valued for her individuality and every sister had a place." For Kim, Alpha Beta Chapter made perfect sense. As one of the chapter's first sisters in the 1980s, Kim had the opportunity to serve as social chairman twice, a role she was enthusiastic about as it allowed her to help organize parties and events with other chapters on campus. Kim's chapter advisor, Bonnie Hockema '74, as well as Bonnie's mother, Bonnie Andrews '38, were fantastic role models. Mary Harrison Ford '57 and Sue Frick '51 were other positive influencers while Kim was an active member, as were the chapter sisters who lived in the Alpha Beta house during the same years she did. The best part of being an active, said Kim, were "the times with my sisters walking to campus, attending parties, doing our hair, and just sitting around the chapter house watching scary movies." The camaraderie of the girls and the fun, simplicity of that time in Kim's life is what she looks back on most as an alumna. ACW was influential for Kim, not only as an active member, but as a professional. She credits Alpha Beta with teaching her to coexist with others and integrate socially. "I was one of only two children, so being in a sorority was truly the first time I had to learn to live with a group and manage our differences," Kim stated. "That, combined with learning to participate and do things outside of the chapter, benefitted me in my career later on." Kim visited the Alpha Beta house last year for Founder's Day and was able to mingle with the active chapter and view the renovations. "I already knew many of the sisters through my former work as finance advisor for Purdue," she said. "I was very impressed with the caliber of women in the chapter and the quality of their finance-related questions." The academic standing and philanthropic involvement of Alpha Beta were other notable qualities of the chapter that Kim recalls fondly. One of Kim's three children, Parker, is a sophomore at Purdue and a Delta Sigma Phi. Her daughter, Chelsea, is a vice president of marketing, value brand, for Anheuser-Busch; and oldest son, Nick, works for Salesforce doing new member onboarding. Kim and her husband, Bruce, built a new home in Charlotte, N.C., on Lake Norman and just returned from a trip to the Dalmatian Coast. The relationships she developed with her chapter sisters are still of utmost importance to Kim, and she stays in touch with Kathleen Hamilton Beno '79, Laurie Rice-Salemi '81, and Jane McGurk Burgess '80. "My husband and I lived with Jane for a month last August after we sold our home," said Kim. "That's what I call real sisterhood!" You can connect with Kim at kbphill1984@gmail.com. an influential alpHa Beta Why Kim Phillips '80 Chose AXO "I was very impressed with the caliber of women in the chapter." A lpha Beta members were honored to host President Mitch Daniels for dinner in August, just before the first home football game (and victory)! He arrived to a driveway full of Alpha Chi Omega sisters ready to greet him and took a photo on our treasured swing. Chapter President Jessica Miller '14 and other actives led President Daniels on a tour and discussed chapter happenings, the house renovations and the centennial campaign. We followed the tour with a nice dinner and short program where sisters gave brief presentations on our five membership criteria: academic interest, character, financial responsibility, leadership ability, and personal development. The women spoke about recent chapter accomplishments and activities related to those criteria, with President Daniels saying that he was, "enormously impressed with the women and the whole setup at Alpha Chi." He offered advice and encouragement to all our sisters before thanking us for our service to Purdue and our communities, and praised Alpha Beta's academic achievements. PRESIDENT MITCH DANIELS VISITS ALPHA CHI OMEGA President Mitch Daniels said he was "enormously impressed" with the women of Alpha Beta.

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